Michelina's Lean Gourmet Shrimp Scampi

Calories: 290
WW Points: 6

Their description: Angel hair pasta in a light, white wine sauce with tender shrimp, crisp carrots and juicy tomatoes. Rich, fresh and delicious.

At first glance: The sauce is yellow. Smells good, though. Don't see the tomatoes.

Upon closer inspection: I didn't know angel hair looked like a nappy-ass clown wig. It's spaghetti at best; don't kid yourself, Michelina. My husband gave me a spoon to eat this with when he pulled it out of the microwave. At first I was like, "A spoon? C'mon, it's pasta." But apparently I've been transported back in time, either that or Michelina likes to believe everyone's five years old and needs their pasta cut up into little 1-inch strands. Thanks. Thanks a bunch. There isn't much shrimp, but what do you expect for a dollar? I see the carrots. Still no tomatoes.

Taste: Not bad. The pasta is horrible soggy to the point that it's almost inedible. Luckily (or not), I was too hungry to care. There are seven tiny salad-size shrimp, which isn't too bad after all. The sauce is more salty than anything else, but I still detect a nice buttery, garlicky-ness. I'd eat it, again. It's just not a fave. Of course, for a dollar, you can't do much better.

Overall rating: 5

Michelina's Budget Gourmet Chinese-style Vegetables & White Chicken

Calories: 310
WW Points: 6

Their description: A delicious rich sauce with crisp Chinese-style vegetables and white meat chicken served over fluffy white rice.

At first glance: Ah, if only it looked as good as the food.

Upon closer inspection: I can find the chicken (I think), but veggies? I think not. A few slivers of carrot and green pepper just don't cut it.

Taste: Bleh. Salty, boring. The mushy sauce is just... ick. There's very little flavor in any of it. I don't know what makes this "Chinese-style," other than the fact that they probably used some soy sauce. An insult to every Asian who ever lived or will live. This one lives up to its $0.77 pricetag.

Overall rating: 1 (the rice wasn't terrible, so it gets a point for that)

Michelina's Budget Gourmet Szechwan-style Vegetables & White Chicken

Okay, before anyone judges me, it was $0.77. That's SEVENTY-SEVEN cents. I'd be freaking nuts not to try it.



Calories: 280
WW Points: 5

Their description: Crispy Szechwan vegetables nestled in a rich and tangy Asian-inspired sauce with noodles and white chicken.

At first glance: Dang, this is a tiny-ass bit of food.

Upon closer inspection: Noodles, sauce, peppers, carrots... I smell the ginger. That's nice.

Taste: Surprisingly tasty. There's a good zing in that sauce, all gingery and garlicky... Okay, so the noodles were a bit soggy. And the chicken, a bit spongy. And this isn't enough food to satisfy my 9-month-old. But the flavors were good. It could be a good snack. Meal? Meh. If you're the size of a fetus, maybe.

Overall rating: 7

Lean Cuisine Chicken Florentine Lasagna

Calories: 280
WW Points: 6

Their description: Chicken Florentine Lasagna with white meat chicken, spinach and vegetables.

At first glance: Where's the chicken? Nevermind that -- where's the LASAGNA?

Upon closer inspection: It really is swimming in that sauce, isn't it? Looks very soggy. What a shame.

Taste: Bland. Then garlic. Bland. Then a bit of cheese. But mostly bland. If there really were veggies in this lasagna, it might have more taste. Do they put hardly any in there to appeal to more people, or what? What's the point of calling it "florentine" if it has hardly any spinach in there at all? Boo, Lean Cuisine. Boo.

Overall rating: 2

Kashi Lemongrass Coconut Chicken

Calories: 300
WW Points: 6

Their description: Chicken with broccoli florets, carrots, and sugar snap peas are all served over our Kashi Seven Whole Grains and Sesame® with red quinoa pilaf. It’s then topped with a lemongrass coconut sauce and coconut flakes.

At first glance: Lots of veggies, chicken, and shredded coconut. Some grains other than rice.

Upon closer inspection: Smells AMAZING.

Taste: I really like the quinoa pilaf. The flavors are so fresh and delicious. Nice and mild. Nothing's overly sweet. If I have one complaint, it's that the chicken's a little "blah," but it's hard to get chicken right in a frozen entree.

Overall rating: 9

Lean Cuisine Vegetable Eggroll

Calories: 310
WW Points: 6

Their description: Vegetable eggroll filled with a seasoned blend of cabbage, carrots, celery, and onions. Accompanied by an Oriental dipping sauce with orange and ginger accents, and a side of long grain rice with vegetables.

At first glance: A good-sized eggroll swimming in watery sauce next to white rice and some peas, carrorts and peppers (very few).

Upon closer inspection: Why couldn't they have upped the healthy factor by including brown rice instead of white? Eggroll looks crispy but is quite soggy; inside is some oddly-colored mush. I think I can make out cabbage, onion, and a bit of carrot.

Taste: On its own, the eggroll is very bland. I can see why they included so much sauce. I'm still miffed about the white rice, but it tastes okay. I like the orange-y, ginger-y-ness of the sauce. This is one I'd eat again.

Overall rating (from 1 to 10): 7

Lean Cuisine Chicken Carbonara

Calories: 270
WW Points: 6

Their description: Roasted chicken tenderloins in a creamy Parmesan cheese sauce with bacon, mushrooms, basil and garlic. Served over a bed of linguini tossed with roasted red peppers.

At first glance: That looks too thick to be linguini. Some lumpy beige and grey things in a white sauce.

Upon closer inspection: Beige is chicken, grey is mushrooms. I had to nuke it again because my microwave's on crack acting up. I'm not seeing peppers or bacon, save for one tiny fleck of pepper in my pasta. And I really mean one. Fleck.

Taste: Chicken tastes like chicken and has the texture of chicken, so long as meal isn't overcooked in the microwave. I think they tried to make it taste like bacon, but all I'm really getting from the sauce is smokey-ness. Pasta's overdone. Mushrooms taste like nothing. Thanks, but no thanks.

Overall rating (up to 10): 3 (I'm sure this pleases someone. Just not me.)

Lean Cuisine Roasted Chicken with Lemon Pepper Fettuccini

Calories: 260
WW Points: 5

Their description: Roasted Chicken with Lemon Pepper Fettuccini with white meat chicken, vegetables and aged parmesan and romano cheeses.

At first glance: Fettuccini with green specks over top, next to cubes of chicken with red peppers, carrots, and onions in a white sauce.

Upon closer inspection: Green flecks with chicken are spinach, according to the ingredient list, but the amount is pitiful; looks like a garnish or herb. Six pieces of chicken that look decidedly odd. Specks of white (I guess that cheese they were talking about) in the sauce.

Taste: Chicken actually *melts* in my mouth. For many food items, I would consider this to be a good chicken. Chicken is not one of those items. Lemon pepper is neither lemony nor peppery. Sauce is disappointingly bland. Not worth the calories.

Overall rating (1 to 10): 4 (am I just getting harder to please?)

Lean Cuisine Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry

Calories: 250
WW Points: 5

Their description:

Tender white meat chicken with long grain white rice, delicate snap peas, carrots and zesty red peppers in a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce.

At first glance: So obviously NOT the "New Recipe" printed on the box in the stock photo. This is a brownish mix of chicken, carrots, red peppers, and water chesnuts. Everything is tinged an interesting brown. Next to what looks like thin spaghetti.

Upon closer inspection: There's a good amount of chicken cubes. I'm a water chesnut girl, which is good because there are a lot. A few small pieces of red pepper with one HUGE piece (like a whole square inch -- wow) mixed in. No wonder they decided this needed a new recipe. This looks depressing without the green.

Taste: Not terrible. I don't know. It's kind of "blah," but definitely tastes teriyaki-ish, so I guess it did its job. Some of the chicken pieces kind of melt in my mouth, which is quite gross. Some pieces of carrot are slightly cristp, while others are sickeningly soft. This dish seems hit-or-miss.

Overall rating (out of 10): 5 (I really want to try the new recipe... It looks way more appetizing.)

Lean Cuisine Ginger Garlic Stir Fry with Chicken

Calories: 290
WW Points: 5

Their description: Snap peas and broccoli with tender white meat chicken and whole grain rice in a ginger garlic sauce

At first glance: Wow, that's a lot of veggies! Where's the rice?

Upon closer inspection: There's a pretty good amount of chicken in here, too. I like that they used brown rice.

Taste: The brown rice soaked up most of the spicy, really yummy sauce. I can taste both the ginger and the garlic. The vegetables were cooked wonderfully so that they retained a lot of their crispness. Carrots, red peppers, broccoli (albeit not much, but with so much else, I don't mind), snap peas... Wow. Brown rice is great, too. And so filling. A keeper. Lean Cuisine, you're really outdoing yourselves now.

Overall rating (up to 10): 10

Healthy Choice Grilled Turkey Breast

Calories: 270
WW Points: 5

Their description: Our Grilled Turkey Breast is made with lean turkey breast medallions, and is covered in a sweet cranberry-apple sauce. Roasted sweet potatoes and tender beans with shoestring carrots add variety and texture, and our peach dessert satisfies your sweet tooth and completes this filling meal.

At first glance: Three compartments: one with green beans and slivers of carrot, one with a beige mush (the peaches, I'm guessing) with oats on top, and one with six pieces of turkey, 12 pieces of sweet potato, sitting in an odd pinkish sauce with cranberries.

Upon closer inspection: That's a lot of sauce. I'm kind of scared.

Taste: Peaches are watery and sickeningly sweet, and taste a lot more like apples to me. Green beans are pretty well cooked; too bad I'm not a fan. They're sitting in quite a bit of water, too, which is sad. Sweet potoatoes would be delish if they weren't in that horrid sauce, as would the turkey. What were they thinking? Put it on the side, or something? Yeesh. Turkey's pretty dry. What a shame. This could have been good.

Overall rating (up to 10): 5 (it shows promise, but until they do something about that sauce, you can count me out)

Lean Cuisine Grilled Chicken Primavera

Calories: 220
WW Points: 4

Their description: Asparagus and cherry tomatoes with grilled white meat chicken and whole grain vermicelli in a creamy garlic sauce.

At first glance: Seven cubes of chicken with six pieces of halved cherry tomato, amid tons of broccoli and asparagus. I couldn't even see the pasta!

Upon closer inspection: The pasta's there, as well as a delightful-smelling white sauce.

Taste: Can it really be that this is only 220 calories? My, is it delicious. The veggies actually taste the way they're supposed to. The tomatoes are sweet and pop with flavor in my mouth. The sauce is creamy and garlicky and wonderful. The chicken tastes like chicken. Lean Cuisine, I applaud you.

Overall rating (up to 10): 10!

Chicken Enchilada Suiza with Mexican-Style Rice

Because it'd be too hard to keep this from being a comparison to the same dish from Smart Ones, I'm not even going to try.


Calories: 270
WW Points: 5

Their description: Chicken Enchilada Suiza with a sour cream sauce and mexican-style rice.

At first glance: At least there's cheese over the enchilada. But there's only one enchilada! There's corn in the rice.

Upon closer inspection: A total of 7 -- count em, SEVEN -- kernels of corn. Way to go with the veggies. I can't find the chicken in this one, either (I dissected it to find a strange pink mush, though). There's more rice than in the Smart Ones version.

Taste: There's less heat than the Smart Ones enchiladas, which makes it a bit easier to eat. The bit of shredded cheese over top helps things a bit, too. Otherwise, it's basically the same exact one-note junk.

Overall rating (up to 10): 5 (it had to get one more than Smart Ones, though I have no idea how or why I rated the Smart Ones meal so highly).

Lean Cuisine Chicken Chow Mein

Calories: 260
WW Points: 5

Their description: White meat chicken with stir fry vegetables and white rice.

At first glance: White rice along bland-looking chicken, carrots and sauce. Where are the green specks I saw on the box?

Upon closer inspection: Green specks are in there as sickly brown colored things. One piece of water chestnut. Two pitiful pieces of celery. Ample amount of carrots and chicken.

Taste: Bland yet salty. That's about it. Chicken is rubbery. Not much here. Rice is mushy and overdone.

Overall rating (up to 10): 3

Smart Ones Honey Dijon Chicken

Calories: 220
WW Points: 4

Their description: Tender white meat chicken in a tangy honey-dijon sauce with a rice & vegetable medley.

At first glance: Five or six cubes of chicken in an orangey-brown sauce alongside white rice with red peppers, French-style green beans, and carrots.

Upon closer inspection: I can smell the mustard. BIG TIME. Veggies look numerous. Yay.

Taste: Boo to the chicken and sauce. Terrible. I cannot stress this enough. "Tangy" is too pleasant a word to describe this. "Awful" is still too pleasant. The mustard flavor is overpowering, and the chicken doesn't have a texture resembling chicken at all.

Overall rating (up to 10): 1

Lean Cuisine Butternut Squash Ravioli

Calories: 350
WW Points: 7

Their description: Butternut squash ravioli in a creamy sauce with walnuts,snap peas and carrots.

At first glance: 5 ravioli in a cream sauce with yellow and orange carrots, 4 snap peas, and... I can't find any walnuts.

Upon closer inspection: I think I found a walnut.

Taste: Mild. Good amount of veggies, cooked well and tasty. Squash filling so creamy and good I felt like I was eating something very unhealthy. Not sure what's in the sauce. Not sure I care.

Overall rating (up to 10): 9

Lean Cuisine Chicken with Almonds

Calories: 260
WW Points: 5

Their description: Chicken tenderloins with rice,green beans,carrots and broccoli.

At first glance: Chicken in brown sauce with sliced almonds next to white rice with chopped broccoli and a yellow vegetable -- are they carrots?

Upon closer inspection: White rice also has a few slivers of French-style green beans. Chicken and sauce smells nutty.

Taste: Surprisingly tasty with a subtle almond flavor. I'm pleasantly suprised by their restraint with the almond extract. Almonds themselves are a little tough.

Overall rating (up to 10): 7 (the almonds are in the title, yet they're tough? Boo.)

Lean Cuisine Sesame Stir Fry with Chicken

Calories: 300
WW Points: 6

Their description: Edamame and broccoli with tender white meat chicken and whole wheat vermicelli in a sesame sauce

At first glance: Vegetables and diced chicken over noodles. Cannot see the noodles through the veggies (broccoli, red peppers, and what appear to be bamboo shoots). Approximately 7 small pieces of chicken (like a cubic 3/4 inch).

Upon closer inspection: Edamame mixed in? Checks their description. Wow, it really is edamame. Chicken cubes look boiled, colorless. Doesn't have much of a smell.

Taste: Kind of bland with a slight zing at the end. A little spicy. Chicken is flavorless. Noodles are soggy. Vegetables are well-cooked.

Overall rating (up to 10): 7 (mostly because it was not inedible and I really love noodles. Plus, if it really was whole wheat pasta, I never would have guessed.)

Lean Cuisine Thai-Style Chicken

Calories: 220
WW Points: 4

Their description: Grilled chicken tenderloins in a Thai-Style red pepper sauce with basil, soy and ginger, served with rice.

At first glance: Off-white rice with specks of red and green next to pieces of chicken in a bright red sauce.

Upon closer inspection: Rice was ice cold until I took off plastic (instructions had me "cut slit in film cover to vent") completely and nuked it for another 5 minutes. Could have been my microwave, but still... Sauce looks tomato-ey. I had no idea it was supposed to be red pepper until I read the box. No vegetables to speak of (do the specks in the rice count?) One piece of grizzle in my chicken. Boo.

Taste: Not impressed. The sauce was good, for a frozen meal, but the rice was blah, and I missed the veggies.

Overall rating (up to 10): 6

Smart Ones Lemon Herb Chicken Piccata

Calories: 230
WW Points: 4

Their description: Grilled white meat chicken in a tangy lemon sauce with rice & spring vegetables.

At first glance: Oddly colored chicken and sauce alongside wild rice (white rice with a few pieces of the aforementioned), a few pieces of julienned carrots and French-style string beans.

Upon closer inspection: Meal is supposed to be stirred halfway through cooking process. Sauce looks a little watery. Odd smell but one gets used to it quickly enough. Specks of unknown herb in sauce. Rice looks fluffy.

Taste: Lemon flavor is a little sweet, but there is considerably more dimension in flavor compared to the two previous Smart Ones I've had. Chicken is cooked very well for a frozen meal. Rice cooked perfectly as well, soaks up some of watery sauce. The lemon flavor still is a little odd for me. Reminds me of eating lemon curd or something. Tone down the sweetness, and I think this would make a truly awesome meal (for a frozen one, at least).

Overall rating (up to 10): 8

Smart Ones Chicken Mirabella

Calories: 200
WW Points: 4

Their description: A medley of pasta and white meat chicken in a marsala wine sauce with garden vegetables.

At first glance: Spaghetti pasta with julienned carrots and chopped broccoli (maybe 10-15 pieces of vegetable in all), next to chicken with a red sauce. Dish is meant to be mixed together halfway through cooking.

Upon closer inspection: Pasta looks dry. Mixed in with the chicken are two small pieces of diced red pepper, two tiny pieces of mushroom, four pieces of zucchini, and some peas.

Taste: Pasta is very dry, vegetables aren't bad in terms of taste and texture. Chicken is rubbery. Red sauce is salty and pretty terrible-tasting. I'm glad I didn't mix it throughout or there wouldn't be much to eat.

Overall rating (up to 10): 3 (the chicken and sauce - the main parts of the meal - ruin it for me, big time

Smart Ones Chicken Enchiladas Suiza

Calories: 290
WW Points: 6

Their description: Served in a zesty sour cream and green chile sauce with Spanish rice.

At first glance: Small mound of rice next to two small roll-ups (think Jose Ole taquitos) smothered in cheese-looking sauce.

Upon closer inspection: Rice has some peppers mixed in. A few small pieces of pepper over enchiladas, as well. Chicken inside enchiladas is not discernible.

Taste: Mostly just heat. Sauce isn't cheesy. Not much in the way of different textures. Rice is bland. Filling of enchiladas is questionable in terms of content (I'm still not finding the chicken).

Overall rating (up to 10): 4